Calia just launched a second Japanese-inspired restaurant-to-retail concept in Chadstone and it is a sight to behold.

By Urbanlist

Split over two levels, the shiny new Chadstone venue flaunts 100 indoor seats and an additional 50 seats in an outdoor area. Best part? It’s open until 10 pm every night so you can enjoy Michelin-star level Japanese cuisine until late.

The expanded menu from the original Calia sees new items such as the beef udon soup and matcha soba in addition to a grazing menu of 18 moreish Japanese sharing plates. The tapas-style plates boast familiar Emporium favourites, from the sashimi plate to the grilled tiger prawns to the totally delicious umami fries.

Those of us with a sweet tooth can try the creative sweet purple potato mille-feuille or the signature matcha lava cake for some ooey-gooey chocolate-y-ness. But if you’re feeling a bit swanky, you can try your luck by ordering the exclusive The Coconut dessert—but make sure to come in early on this one, as it’s only available in limited quantities.

Celebrate Christmas with your loved ones by dining at Calia or by giving the gift of Calia. Enjoy our Christmas themed displays and windows as you browse our retail marketplace for a unique gift or whilst waiting for a table in our dining room.

BESPOKE GIFT BOXES AND HAMPERS

Our in-store staff can create bespoke gift boxes and hampers for you to gift to friends, family or valued clients. Choose from our exclusive variety of Calia Teas, Honey, Cookies, Nuts and Chocolates or from our selection of Imported Truffle Products to create the perfect Calia Gift Box. We also have Gift Vouchers available for purchase that can be used in both our restaurant and retail marketplace.

WORLD FAMOUS LOISON PANETTONE

Calia is proud to launch its Christmas range of Panettone and Pandori from world famous Italian Artisan Patisserie Loison. Loison is a third generation family owned Patisserie founded in Italy in 1938 with a focus on producing the highest quality signature Confections and Panettone. Calia carries Loison Cookies, Panettone and Pandori. Select from a variety of Loison Panettone and Pandori flavours including Rose, Chocolate, Fig or Original.

GIFT WRAPPING SERVICE

Our staff can professionally gift wrap your purchase in-store for a small fee. While you wait for your gift to be beautifully transformed you can enjoy a coffee or a meal in our dining room.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM CALIA!

For more assistance on any of our services please feel free to approach our friendly in-store staff who will be more than happy to assist in ensuring you have a wonderful Christmas.

From all of us at Calia - we wish you and your family a very merry Christmas!

Two years after opening the doors to its Japanese-inspired restaurant-to-retail store at Emporium, Calia is opening a second spot at Chadstone. Upstairs at the new store will be Yu Kitchen, a mid-range Chinese restaurant.

At Calia, patrons can dine on Wagyu rice bowls and matcha lava cakes, then move to the adjoining gourmet food store to buy ingredients for home.

The Chadstone location (opposite Tiffany & Co.) will seat 60 more diners (both indoors and outdoors) than the Emporium spot does. There’ll also be a wine and whisky tasting area – a venture too big for Emporium – and dinner service.

“We’ll still have the core menu for brunch and lunch,” says Calia chief executive officer Jason Chang. “We’ll also have another menu where you can sit down with friends, have a drink, and have some Japanese tapas.”

Francisco Araya, who trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli, and worked at Tokyo’s Michelin-starred 81 Restaurant, has designed the menu at the new Calia.

Yu Kitchen will be connected to Calia by an internal staircase leading upstairs and will offer formal Chinese dining and yum cha. The menu is by executive chef Chen Kentaro of two-Michelin-starred restaurant Shisen Hanten in Singapore. Kentaro is also the son of “iron chef” Chen Kenichi.

It might be best known as Melbourne's fashion capital, but Chadstone Shopping Centre is about to up the ante in its culinary department, announcing an ambitious new food and dining project to open this December.

Taking over the two-level space most recently home to the Louis Vuitton Time Capsule exhibition, the project will be home to two different dining offerings — a second outpost of restaurant-to-retail concept Calia downstairs and a Chinese yum cha restaurant above.

This next iteration of Calia comes two years after the original launched within Melbourne Emporium, boasting a larger, 120-seat capacity space, complete with retail area, dining space and dedicated section for wine and whisky tastings. Chef Francisco Araya (from Spain's Michelin-starred elBulli and Mugaritz) is plating up a luxurious, yet affordable menu, crafted around quality ingredients that are also available to buy in the adjoining retail space.

Calia is a gourmet food store, restaurant and educational space in one.

As a chef, Francisco Javier Araya has dedicated much of his life to sourcing sustainable ingredients in countries such as Spain, Japan, China and his native Chile.

He’s established strong connections with key culinary players all over the world having worked in Spain’s world-renowned restaurants elBulli and Mugaritz and Shanghai’s NAPA wine bar and kitchen. His Tokyo fine diner, 81 Restaurant earned him a Michelin star in 2013. Now, he wants to share this success with everyone.

Araya’s restaurant-to-retail concept, Calia, aims to help customers and diners better connect the food they’re eating to its origins and the stories behind it.

He wants people to understand the effort that goes into sustainable produce, either through signs explaining a product’s history or origins, or staff who are on hand to explain that information and offer samples.

Araya has also tried to emulate the fine dining experience, but do away with certain parts of the process he thinks are unnecessary.